Cons

A 30- to 40-minute taxi ride (about $60) to the Strip from some hotels

No public transportation, just metered taxis

Some hotels located along major highways -- less pretty scenery

Fewer prestigious dining options in general than on the Strip

Blistering summers; average highs in the 100s (Fahrenheit) during July and August

What It's Like

Up until about a decade ago, the area surrounding Downtown Las Vegas and the Strip's towering hotel-casinos was an endless red desert. But as development expands, an ever-increasing number of resorts offer an isolated alternative to the 24-hour crowds. It's part suburban sprawl (fast food, outlet malls, congested interstates) and part outdoors escape due to the gorgeous Red Rock Canyon. Sure there are casinos -- it's still Vegas, after all -- but they often get less attention than the natural landscape.